Special Instructions from the Circuit Court of Cook County

1.When
eFiling a new case or subsequent filings, Cook County attorneys must input a Cook
County Attorney Code Number in the “Case Cross Reference Number” field in
Section 2 on the initial screen. Select “Cook County Attorney Code” in the drop
down, click “Add Case Cross Reference Number” and then click “Save changes.”Failure to add your Cook County Attorney Code
Number in the “Case Cross Reference Number” field will cause your filings to be
rejected.

2.For
Domestic Relations Division cases, Probate Division cases, Chancery Division
cases and for Law Division cases only
if you need to file on Calendar 5 and M1,the “Case Cross Reference Number” field is used to enter your Cook County
Attorney Code Number and in addition, the “Case Cross Reference Number” field
is also used to schedule Motions.To
schedule a motion for Domestic Relations, Probate and Chancery type the word “Motion”
in the “Case Cross Reference Number” field and then select the type of motion you
are filing from the drop down, click “Add Case Cross Reference,” click “Save
changes.”Motion dates cannot be
scheduled unless these steps are taken.

3.Filings
will be rejected for the following reasons: they are filed without payment of
the fees required by statute; the filing does not comply with the requirements
set forth in GAO No. 2014-03 (effective July 1, 2018) for filing multiple
documents in the same submission; the filing does not comply with the
requirements in GAO No. 2014 -03 for electronic file formats; are illegible
pursuant to Ill.S.Ct.R. 131 (effective January 1, 2016); are filed in the
incorrect Division; are marked confidential without submission of a separate
order permitting the document to be filed confidentially; the Cook County

Attorney Code
Number was not entered in the “Case Cross ReferenceNumber” field; a return date is
required and no return date was selected; aresubmitted as an initial filing but is a subsequent filing; and, are
filed as a new case but the new case type “Filing Code” was not selected from
the available options in the “Filing Codes” field.

4.Multiple documents
with the same case number may be filed in the same transaction, however each
document requires a separate activity code and must be a separate PDF.

Waiving
Court Fees

5.If
a “Waiver” payment type is chosen:Self-Represented litigants must upload either an ‘Application for Waiver
of Court Fees’ form or a copy of the order allowing the fees to be waived;
Civil Legal Service Providers must upload a completed CLSP form; government
agencies must upload a completed Fee Exempt Reduced Fee Agency Cover Sheet.
Forms are available on the Clerk’s Office efile portal at www.cookcountyclerkofcourt.org.
Filings that omit completed fee waiver forms where a “Waiver” payment type is
chosen, will be rejected.

6.Government
filers who have approved Intergovernmental Billing Agreements must choose “Gov’t
Billing” as the payment type and must upload a copy of their approved
Intergovernmental Billing Agreement with filings that require filing fees.Do not choose “Waiver” as the payment
type.To set up a billing
arrangement call the Clerk’s Office’s Accounting Department at 312.603.5035.

Initiating
a New Case

7.When
eFiling, the first dropdown the eFiler sees is the location. The location drop
down will list each district and the location of each district (i.e.Cook County – Civil – District 2 – Skokie. If
you do not know the correct district to file in please visit our website, www.cookcountyclerkofcourt.org for
village and municipal boundaries for each of the courthouse locations.

8.All
new cases must also upload a completed Cover Sheet for the Division where the
case will be heard.

9.For
Civil cases, the amount claimed or the “Ad Damnum” amount must be entered in
the Fees Section in order to get the appropriate filing fee.If the Ad Damnum is not entered correctly and
the wrong fee is paid, the filing will be rejected.

10.For
Mortgage Foreclosure cases, after you select the filing type and you have
uploaded your documents, “Add Optional Services and Fees” must be selected in
order to select the appropriate tier for the Mortgage Foreclosure case.
Selecting the appropriate tier must be completed prior to proceeding.If the wrong tier is selected and the wrong
fee is paid, the filing will be rejected.

11.When
filing Foreign Judgments, Counterclaims, Administrative Review cases and for
Civil Division cases when there is more than one (1) defendant the filer must
click on the “Optional Services” so the correct mailing fees can be paid.

12.When
filing a Name Change case, enter the current name as the Plaintiff’s name and
the new name being requested as the Defendant’s name.

Filing
Into an Existing Case

13.When
eFiling subsequent filings, the case number must be entered as follows: a four (4)
digit century, upper case letter(s) for the division designation (except for
Civil Municipal Division cases in districts 1-6 where there is no letter
designation at all), followed by six (6) numbers if the letter designation is
one (1) letter like this: 2018L000818. For cases that have two (2) letter
division designations such as Chancery (CH) and Orders of Protection (OP) the
division designation is followed by five (5) numbers like this 2018CH01247. Law
Division and Domestic Relations cases in Suburban Districts 2-6 case numbers have
the Suburban District’s number following the division designation like this:
2018D400012. If you do not know your case number or need assistance finding
your case number please visit our website, www.cookcountyclerkofcourt.org.

14.When
filing an Appearance, the “Return Date Not Applicable” must be checked.This does not pertain to the return date
already issued on the summons.The
system will then generate the status date.

Selecting a Court Date

15.A
return date from the pop-up calendar must be chosen when the case requires a
“Return Date’’ (A return date is required if a summons is being issued.)If a

court date is required on the filing as
well, the system will generate the court date after the filing is accepted. If
you are not sure if a return date is required, click “Validate” and if a return
date is required the system will provide you

with
the first available return date, and if a return date is not required the
system will place a check in the “Return Date Not Applicable” box.

16.In
the Civil Division and Law Division, the hearing box may display dates when
filing into an existing case.DO NOT
choose a hearing Date unless the filing requires it. If you have questions
whether a hearing date is required call the Division or Suburban District where
the case is being heard. Contact information is available on the Clerk’s
Office’s website www.cookcountyclerkofcourt.org.

17.To
get a court date for post judgment cases in Civil Municipal Districts 1-6 you
must select “Return Date” to get a court
date.

General Information

18.eFilers
must clear their internet browser’s cache/cookies/browsing history prior to
eFiling.Failure to do so may prohibit
your documents from being filed properly.

19.Changes
made in each section of the eFile application must be saved prior to
proceeding to the following section.For
multiple filings, changes must be saved after each filing is added prior to
clicking ‘Add Another Filing’.

20.The information
that will show on the electronic docket regarding which party filed a document
comes from the “Fees Section” field labeled “Party Responsible for the Fees,”
therefore, if you are filing you must select yourself as the “Party Responsible
for the Fees.”

21.Each
time a document is uploaded you need to select whether the document is
“Confidential” or “Non-Confidential.”If
you select Confidential you must also upload a copy of an order allowing the
document to be filed confidentially. If you do not have an order allowing the
document to be filed confidentially, you must select Non-confidential. If
Confidential is selected, and the court order is not included, the filing will
be rejected. Documents that

may be filed confidentially pursuant to
rule or statute are exempt from this requirement, such as Notices of
Confidential Information Within Court Filing.

Self-Represented
Litigant Information

22. When eFiling a new case or subsequent
filings, self-represented litigants must

type
this number “99500” in the “Case Cross Reference Number” field in

Section 2 on the initial screen. Select
“Cook County Attorney Code” in the